December 18, 2017. The Tipp City Foundation held its final quarterly meeting in early December. Committee reports included the planning behind a week-long Teen Leadership course in June, 2018, which will include a youth philanthropy component. In November 2016, during the Foundation’s strategic planning retreat, the board identified this as a need in our community. Now, after 12 months of working with the Chamber of Commerce, Bethel and Tipp City Schools and private citizens, committee chair Melissa Keller reported that the pieces are in place to launch the program.
Quarterly grantmaking was also on the docket. Of the many grant requests considered, some were renewals of perennial programs while others were new. After lively discussion, robotic programming, incontinence supplies and a new roof were among the projects supported.
Like last quarter, equipment upgrades at the Tippecanoe Family Aquatic Center received the largest of this quarter’s awards. Originally slated as a multi-year grant, the timeline was accelerated and the $20,000 commitment is now fully paid. Partnering with the City to improve the pool experience in time for next year’s swimming season helps the entire community.
Ultimately, seven organizations were chosen to receive 15 awards totaling $31,336.83. This concludes the year’s grantmaking with a total of $93,401.
The following is a list of the recipients, amounts awarded, and the purposes funded.
Bethel Local Schools, $1,006, assists with activities and materials in the science classroom for students K through 12. This grant is made possible through the generous support of the Radle Family Fund for Science Education, established in 2007.
Downtown Tipp City, Inc., $2,000, broadcasts next year’s activities happening in Downtown Tipp City through the printing and mailing of 12,000 calendar cards.
GIVE Medical Ministry, $2,400, helps meet the demand for incontinence supplies for Miami County adults requesting assistance. This grant helps GIVE serve its mission: to loan medical equipment and to provide supplies to people with medical needs, so as to enhance their mobility, independence and quality of life.
Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $2,645, invites Madcap Puppets to a one week Artist in Residency program at Nevin Coppock Elementary School. Blending world literature, fine and performing arts and storytelling, kindergarten and 1st graders will have hands-on experiences with an art form dating back to 5th Century BC.
Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $1,551.68, expands electronic projects in the high school engineering class by purchasing circuit design and soldering kits. Demonstration tools will also be purchased so that high school students can teach STEM activities to elementary and middle school students. These activities include concepts of forces and motion, rotational inertia, Bernoulli’s principle, properties of density, thermal conductivity and mechanical advantage.
Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $1,108.49, improves the understanding of basic computer coding of 5th graders with robots made from six new Lego Education We Do 2.0 sets. These students are building America’s future one Lego at a time.
Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $907.89, assesses students’ social and emotional learning skills with the use of the ACT Tessera tool. Freshmen in 2017-2018 are the first class to be surveyed.
Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $885, motivates middle school students towards positive behavior with the use of the PBIS Reward Cards. The Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support program is a multi-device platform to continuously recognize students for meeting behavior expectations.
Tipp City Parks Department, $10,947.45, supports an upgrade to the Tippecanoe Family Aquatic Center with the purchase of play area equipment. This completes a $20,000 commitment to the City to support the renovation.
Tipp City Parks Department, $1,177, replaces the Tweed Woods Park and Hyattsville Garden Park sign. This grant was awarded from the Warren E. Miltenberger Parkland Fund, established in 2008.
Tipp Monroe Community Services, $2,600, defrays the cost of the annual 5th grade excursion to Camp Kern in Oregonia, Ohio.
Tipp Monroe Community Services, $1,000, purchases, repairs and maintains instruments available through the Band Instrument Loan Program. These instruments are used by children who would not otherwise be able to afford to participate in the school band.
Tipp Monroe Community Services, $924.38, scores big points with over 300 children who participate in the youth basketball program by purchasing new equipment such as balls and a scoreboard.
Tipp Monroe Community Services, $447.94, aids the Diaper and Formula Fund, an emergency program that assists families with small children.
Tippecanoe Historical Society, $1,736, protects the archives and artifacts of the museum by offsetting the costs of a new roof. This grant was awarded through the Urban Stewardship Fund, established by Frank Scenna and Heather Bailey in 2009.
Since 1943, the Tipp City Area Community Foundations has awarded $2,109,125.44, through December 31, 2017. Members of the Foundation are Heather Bailey, president, Mary Bowman, Jesse Chamberlain, Joan Creech, Diana Featherstone, Dee Gillis, Dave Grim, treasurer, Melissa Keller, Bruce McKenzie, Jim Ranft, distribution chair, Pete Schinaman, Claire Timmer and Jackie Wahl, secretary.
The Tipp City Foundation is a member fund of The Troy Foundation. If you would like information about how to apply for a grant, please contact Jim Ranft at (937) 667-1270. If you would like information about how to make a tax-deductible contribution, please contact Heather Bailey at (937) 667-4499.
For more information visit www.tippfoundation.org or Tipp Foundation on Facebook.
March 23, 2018 - After welcoming new members Nathan Rentz and Sarah Worley, the board of Tipp City Foundation moved quickly into a jam-packed agenda during the first quarterly meeting of 2018. Jim Ranft, chairman of the Distribution Committee, was elected to serve as the Foundation’s Vice President. A report of last November and December donations’ growth over 2016 in dollars (34% increase) and in the number of donors (65% increase) was applauded. New funds memorializing Sara Gross and Sarah Drexler were acknowledged.
February 28, 2018. The Tipp City Foundation is pleased to announce the unanimous appointments of Nathan Rentz and Sarah Worley to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
December 15, 2017. After four years of fundraising, the Veterans Tribute Fund to support maintenance and upkeep of the Veterans Park has reached its goal. Hundreds of individual gifts pooled together to reach the $25,000 level. Thank you to the generous people and organizations who made this happen.